Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS) is a neurological disorder characterized at birth by seizures and a large port-wine stain birthmark on the forehead and upper eyelid of one side of the face. SWS is also accompanied by an increased pressure within the eye (glaucoma) which can develop very early in life.

Glaucoma represents a group of ocular disorders that are characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, damage to the optic nerve, and gradual loss of visual field. Recently, several studies provided evidence that there is a potential role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.

These findings suggest that there might be changes in systemic humoral immunity possibly underlying the optic neuropathy in at least some glaucoma patients.

The ocular antibody profile in patients with SWS is unknown.The researchers want to study on blood and tear drop samples from patients with SWS to determine the incidence of ocular antibodies in patients with this syndrome.

Eligibility

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Sampling Method:

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

community sample

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Male and female volunteers with SWS of all ages

Exclusion Criteria:

Volunteers without SWS

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00610402